The National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA) has earned an income of Rs 279 million during the first six months of this year. This has been achieved under a program implemented by the direction Environment and Renewable Energy Ministry to prevent illicit gemming and regularizing them as new projects, the Ministry said. The Authority has planned to register an income of Rs 225.9 million in the last six months of this year.

The release said this will help the Authority to earn a record income this year surpassing last year's total income of Rs 3.7 billion.

Illicit gemming activities near the Talduwa Bridge in the Sitawaka Ganga and Haraniyawaka, Ayagama and Balangoda in the Kalu Ganga were prevented and gemming activities were regularized as new projects and this further enabled the Authority to register this record income, the release added.